Unlike my previous posts, this one has nothing to do with software. I will tell you about my favourite musician and my favourite city in Finland. I moved to Tampere for the first time in 2012 when I started my studies. After a break of two years, I moved back again in 2014 autumn for a few months to finish my studies. It was a cloudy and cold autumn time in Tampere. I had a full time job that I worked from home in addition to the classes I had to attend. In such a busy schedule, it was also emotional times in combination with lack of friends. Those were the times I first started to listen to Ólafur Arnalds. He is an Icelandic musician, playing instrumental songs mainly with piano.
Spending 4 months in Tampere, I listened too much of Ólafur. I left the city at the end of the year but since then, whenever I go there, his songs play in my head.
Ólafur Arnalds had four released projects then but I have been mainly listening Living Room Songs album. Some songs remind me jogging around Hervanta, others feel like driving in Hämeentie. Piece below is a great one, reminds me foggy morning runs near the lake behind Hervanta:
There are bunch of other nice songs in that album like, “This Place is a Shelter” and “Tomorrow’s Song”. I probably listened those songs hundreds of times before this talented guy finally came to Helsinki for a concert during his world tour project. Despite the relatively expensive tickets, it was nice to see Kulttuuritalo full of people.
He told several stories including how he started to play piano. Apparently he was trying to be a rapper before his grandmother convinced him for his current carrier. His stage was not only playing music. Light shows also made a good atmosphere for the melody. He also played songs from new album re:member. Song below is my favourite among the new songs and unlike the ones I like from Living Room Songs, this has a happier rhythm. Name of the song is “saman”, it means “together” in Icelandic.